Jets' Aaron Glenn anxious for NFL head-coaching debut

Aaron Glenn remembers having butterflies in his stomach before his NFL debut as a Jets player in 1994. Nearly 31 years to the day, the man who wore No. 31 in the green and white expects to have the same feelings when he makes his head-coaching debut for the Jets on Sunday.

“I was nervous, I know I was, and I'm sure I'll be nervous with this one,” Glenn said. “That's just who I am. I always have that within my body. I can feel it. But at some point, man, it goes away really, really quick and I get dialed into what I have to do as a coach. I know I did as a player.”

Glenn is hoping for the same outcome as 31 years ago, when the Jets beat Buffalo. The last Jets coach to win his first game was Todd Bowles in 2015.

The Week 1 game could be billed as the battle of the Aarons. Former Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers will lead the Pittsburgh Steelers into MetLife Stadium to try to spoil Glenn’s homecoming and coaching debut.

Rodgers spent two years with the Jets, but they failed to live up to the hype. The Jets were 5-12 last season and missed the playoffs for the 14th straight year.

Glenn, wanting a clean slate and to build the Jets his way, informed Rodgers in February that he would be released, and Rodgers did not like how it was done. After contemplating retirement, he signed with the Steelers.

Now Rodgers, 41, will square off against Glenn and his defense in a matchup filled with storylines.

New Jets quarterback Justin Fields played for the Steelers last year. He went 4-2 as the starter before coach Mike Tomlin gave Russell Wilson the football. Glenn wanted Fields to lead his offense, and the Jets gave him a two-year, $40 million contract.

This will be the first time in NFL history that the opposing Week 1 starting quarterbacks are facing the teams they started for in the previous season openers.

“It’s no storyline for me,” Fields said. “It's ball for me.”

Rodgers also didn’t say much about opening up against his former team.

“I’ll just be excited for Week 1,” he said.

Neither player is showing any emotion, but Jets backup Tyrod Taylor, who shared a quarterback room with Rodgers last year and is with Fields now, said this game absolutely means something to them. Taylor would know. He’s been on seven teams and faced his former teams many times.

“It means everything,” he said. “As a competitor in this league, any time you get a chance to go against your old team, regardless of whether you verbally say it or not, there is a feeling that you have within. I expect both Justin and Aaron to be ready.”

Pittsburgh is trying a blueprint with Rodgers that is similar to what the Jets did and hopes for a different result. The Steelers went all-in, adding two-time Pro Bowl receiver DK Metcalf to their roster along with former All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey and Pro Bowl tight end Jonnu Smith.

The Jets have many returning starters on both sides of the ball but will look different because of the change in coaches and culture. Glenn created a more physical and competitive training camp that the players believe has them better prepared for the regular season.

Glenn isn’t making bold playoff projections, though. He said a successful season would be the Jets being “a team to where the fans will look up and say, we're proud of that team. If they say that, I'll be happy. And I'll be happy because within that, I know that wins will come.”

The Jets are expected to be a run-dominant offense this season.

The loss this past week of right guard Alijah Vera-Tucker for the season with a triceps tear was crushing but won’t change how they operate. The Jets, under new coordinator Tanner Engstrand, will try to establish a strong ground game with Breece Hall and Braelon Allen and utilize one of Fields’ strengths.

The air game will be a work in progress. The Jets are trying to make Fields more of a passing threat. Garrett Wilson remains the focal point and is in a great place mentally. He signed a four-year, $130 million extension, was reunited with his college quarterback and can’t wait for the season to start.

“I feel like I did when I was 7 years old,” he said. “It’s a good thing. You're excited. You’re going to lay your clothes out — that type of vibe. I’m pumped up.”

Wilson said Fields is locked in and believes he’s going to show he’s “one of the top players in the game, and I'm confident that's going to come to fruition up here.”

The Jets’ defense should be strong again. They’ll blitz more under Glenn and coordinator Steve Wilks this season and perhaps Sunday, trying to get after Rodgers, the NFL’s oldest player.

For Glenn, this is the beginning of a dream come true. He’s making his head-coaching debut for the team that gave him his start in the NFL 31 years ago.

“I’m looking forward to coaching my [butt] off on the sideline,” Glenn said. “I’m looking forward to our players playing their [butt] off play in and play out and understanding it’s a one-play game every time they go out there. I’m looking forward to that. It’s going to feel good, I know that.”

Vera-Tucker on IR

The Jets placed right guard Alijah Vera-Tucker on injured reserve. He suffered a torn triceps in practice Tuesday and will under season-ending surgery. The Jets elevated wide receiver Tyler Johnson from the practice squad for Sunday's game.